Ramirez on compromise

posted at 8:51 am on November 30, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

As Mitch McConnell laughed at Tim Geithner’s opening bid on resolving the fiscal cliff, some reporters could be heard applauding in the background. The Daily Caller collected a few tweets from journalists in the wake of Obama’s 4:1 tax-hikes-now-to-spending-cuts-way-in-the-future offer:

Washington political reporters on Thursday tweeted defenses of the White House’s opening proposal in the fiscal cliff negotiations with House Republicans.

The proposal, described by The New York Times as “loaded with Democratic priorities and short on detailed spending cuts,” included $1.6 trillion in tax increases over the next decade in exchange for $400 billion in savings from entitlement programs, including Medicare.

Say, remember when the media kept asking Republican presidential candidates during the primaries if they would accept a deal with a 10:1 ratio of spending cuts to tax hikes? What’s the same media saying these days about Obama’s 4:1 ratio in the other direction, which includes no specifics on the cuts?

President Obama, having won re-election, is asking for passage of the policies he campaigned on.

Yes, that was the reason Republicans refused to take that hypothetical seriously in 2011, too. There’s nothing new in the same demands that Democrats have made on what is supposed to be an effort to fix the deficit.

Investors Business Daily looks to two liberal newspapers to show that Obama’s credibility on negotiations is wearing thin:

Even the liberal press is exposing Obama’s disingenuousness. The New York Times noted on Wednesday that Obama “has barely discussed how he would pare back federal spending, focusing instead on the aspect of his plan that plays to his liberal base.”

The Los Angeles Times on Thursday observed Obama “hasn’t said anything publicly about his targets for entitlement savings or cuts in discretionary spending. Instead, he’s tacitly stuck with the proposals in his fiscal 2013 budget, which Congress has already rejected.”

Obama touts what he calls a “balanced approach” in which Republicans raise tax rates, and he promised during the campaign this year to “cut 2-1/2 dollars” in spending “for every dollar in increased revenue.”

But now, with signs that Republicans will agree to increase taxes, the L.A. Times reports that “Democrats seem to have become more entrenched in their resistance to the other half of Obama’s formula.”

Republicans should hold Obama to that formula — in fact, they should publicly commit to guaranteeing $1.6 trillion in guaranteed revenue when Obama commits to guaranteeing $4 trillion in specific cuts (and not savings from reduced war spending, a trick the White House continues to use), which matches his pledge of a 5:2 ratio favoring spending reductions. Obama’s off by a factor of 10, but then again, math was never his strong suit.

Michael Ramirez puts Obama’s offer in clear perspective:

Also, be sure to check out Ramirez’ terrific collection of his works: Everyone Has the Right to My Opinion, which covers the entire breadth of Ramirez’ career, and it gives fascinating look at political history. Read my review here, and watch my interviews with Ramirez here and here. And don’t forget to check out the entire Investors.com site, which has now incorporated all of the former IBD Editorials, while individual investors still exist.

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Simple question, in the last 100 years has government proven that getting more of our money makes them spend more efficently, etc.. Obviously, Not! Then why do they want more, because those beltway hoars need to be fed, an fed, an fed….

The Republicans started out negotiating badly. The Dems got everything they wanted with the sequestration. Cut 50% from defense? A liberals dream. Cut 50% from domestic spending? Not to worry, the takers will scream and holler so loud congress will be begging to restore everything (but defense) back. How can the left lose?

Pelosi, Reid, and Obama (PRO) don’t want to negotiate. They want to defeat and insult the Republicans. Like the 47% Romney alluded to when mapping out campaign strategy, you’ll never get the Dems votes no matter how much you pander so consider them lost. The Republicans should cut their losses and let the Dems own the PRO-Tax and the PRO-Economy.

We’re at a point where those who want to do this country good should quit worrying about their hold on their congressional seats and do what is right. They’re going to get blamed either way.

The GOP needs to follow Krauthammer’s advice and just walk away. Obama’s offer was insane…giving the president the authority to just unilaterally raise the debt limit whenever he feels like it ought to be a non-starter by itself. He’s not king.

They can either cave on everything and officially end their status as a true opposition party while STILL receiving blame for the economic problems to follow, or they can continue to make the case that Obama is unfit to lead and his proposals are a joke. That’s what they argued throughout the campaign…Obama winning re-election doesn’t change the fact he’s a bad president with bad policies that are putting on us on a path to financial ruin. MORE stimulus spending? Only $400 billion in alleged cuts to Medicare (which will subsequently be blamed on the GOP)? It’s laughable.

So, just end negotiations and say you’ll pick them back up when he gets serious about it. Otherwise, Obama will take us over the cliff.

Why did the GOP go through the theater of “being shocked” when this wasn’t a new proposal? Their job is to counter offer.

libfreeordie on November 30, 2012 at 9:21 AM

So wrong again you worthless piece of trash. Or “Obama-loving moocher” for clarity.

A counter offer would suggest that the filthy party you support actually offered something to begin with. Months of the rat-eared wonder talking about the need for the rich to divest their wealth in the name of fairness is not a plan. The GOP needs to be patient and wait for the Dems to propose a plan- at which point they should agree where it is appropriate and attack the rest like a pack of wolves on an antelope.

The idiocy on one side and duplicity on the other just go on and on and on and on. Will it ever change? We simply do not have a Republican figure who can cut to the quick of this shite and speak commandingly to the American people. I’m running out of words for Republicans. One can only say “pathetic” so many times.

You are dealing with a 14-year old punk here, and he wants what he wants when he wants it.

The proper response to a 14 year old is this….

“Your behavior and tone is unacceptable and I am going to draw a boundary around this kind of conversation. If you want a serious, respectful discussion then fine, otherwise we have nothing to talk about.”

Be prepared to say “NO” to everything until the behavior changes. O’Bama could care less about the country. He can’t run it without the money. Don’t give him the money.

Why wouldn’t they offer this? The Dem’s have everything on their side. No matter what happens they come out looking clean, the media will make sure of that.

Republicans renegotiate – blink, blink

Republicans walk away – they’re obstructionists

Republicans agree – it’s a bi-partisan bill and in this instance the
Republicans ALWAYS get the blame and the Democrats walk away making more bad policies (see Dodd – Frank)

The only real plan the Republicans have is to just call a press conference and announce that they are 100% against the Presidents plan but do not want to go over the cliff. Because of that they will attend the vote but not vote (vote present). That way the Democrats will truly own the outcome. At the very least it will provide good comedy watching the LSM trying to twist this to make the Republicans look like the bad guys. More likely, since Obama is a pro at using the “vote present” as a political tool he will see this and offer up something real (in which case the Republicans should still not vote).

At the very least it will provide good comedy watching the LSM trying to twist this to make the Republicans look like the bad guys.

Deets on November 30, 2012 at 10:23 AM

Nah, this is easy: “If the GOP would’ve only *helped*, simply lifted a finger, Obama’s plan would’ve worked, but the Republicans are so un-American they couldn’t even be bothered to care enough to vote one way or the other, much less do anything to help. The pain you’re feeling is all their fault, of course.”

Believe me, there’s no scenario – none – that can’t and won’t be spun to be the GOP’s fault when this burns. And burn, it will.

I despise these people. The journOlists are a disgrace. Obama and his ilk are Communists. The Republicans are spineless losers. Is there anyone–other than the grassroots—willing to stand up and fight back? If not, our country has come full circle. We end how we started: fighting a tyrannical king and controlling bureaucrats intent on controlling the masses.

Living in the Netflix world since Nov 6th revealed this little gem from an old Rockford files episode:

Thug: I want my $200,000 or I am going to shoot you in the head.
Victim (Idiot who took the thugs cash): Look, It’ll take me a while to get it, but you’ll have it on Friday.
Thug: In that case, I am going to kill you, your wife and kids and parents.

And now the Boy King invades my reality world with this ‘plan’? Sheesh!

I’d love to hear a leftist explain exactly how raising taxes will create a single job or lead to any semblance of economic growth.

Or reduce the deficit one dollar considering they already have new projects in mind for any new revenue they steal.

Boehner and McConnell should be on TV every night demanding that 0bama and his minions offer an explanation.

UltimateBob

Someone should have been doing this for the past 6 years, and Obama should have forcefully been called out for his class warfare rhetoric during the recent campaign, and the last one too for that matter.

“The idea of imposing taxes (or ‘raising revenues’) years before trillions of dollars spent on new programs was so distasteful in 2010 that Harry Reid’s Senate had to gut a House bill and replace it with Obamacare to get that monstrosity passed. The subsequent uncertainty regarding its impact on the business environment has prolonged the 2009 Recession.

And, now the same players (Pelosi, Reid, Obama) intend to do the very same thing with the sequestration/debt cieling/fiscal cliff matter? Can one sane person justify this?”

The only real plan the Republicans have is to just call a press conference and announce that they are 100% against the Presidents plan but do not want to go over the cliff. Because of that they will attend the vote but not vote (vote present).

Better, have 35 House Republicans absent so that there will be a quorum but the Democrats will have a majority in the chamber. Then let the President’s plan pass by a vote of 200 to 199. This way, the Republicans are on record as being against the plan but it will have passed with only Democratic votes.

I’m all for a “Starve the Troll” pact. Nobody reply to any of the inane comments from Lib, Upper whoever. Our logic has no impact on thier ideology and only gives them the desire to continue to be the burr under our collective saddles. If we ignore them, maybe they will go someplace else to feed. Please join me!!

Fine; the GOP should put together a budget that halves the EPA and the DHS budgets to start….alond with that for the White House itself.

michaelo on November 30, 2012 at 9:45 AM
Lets add getting rid of the Dept. of Education completely.

Happy Nomad on November 30, 2012 at 9:49 AM

Let’s defund both DOE’s, the Department of Education and the Department of Energy, which has spent lots of money producing not much energy, in fact reducing the amount of energy available from known energy-rich sources.

Since all revenue-raising bills must originate in the House of Representatives (that little Constitution-thingy that Obama likes to ignore now that he’s no longer an assistant professor on the subject), Boehner and the House Republicans need to tell Obama to show them the $5 in spending cuts BEFORE they approve the $2 in taxes, otherwise no deal. And no money for the EPA or DOE either.

Doesn’t matter a bit. Obama knows that even the liberal press will still carry water for them and that the majority of Americans polled say that the Republicans are the ones forcing us over the cliff. He knows that the majority of Americans think that soaking the rich is the answer.

We are going down the road Greece has traveled. I’ve come to accept that fact.

Now we just need to educate the majority of brainwashed Americans. It’s an easy task. /sarcasm

KW64 on November 30, 2012 at 10:52 AM
Perhaps after passing a Budget, or gaining a single Aye vote on the Boy King’s Budget?

socalcon on November 30, 2012 at 11:09 AM

I doubt the Dems will pass a budget in the Senate this year either. Budgets are designed to control spending but that is not what Reid wants. While a signed budget has the advantage of simple majority votes to do reconciliations, if Reid dumps the filibuster, he can get simple majority votes anytime without a budget being needed. I also do not expect that the Dems will vote for Obama’s budget propoasl. They have not voted for it in past years; why now?